As long as you are disciplined, this works really well.  The expenses that I run through my CC are all scheduled to go at the start of the month and I have an automatic payment scheduled at the same time that covers them off.  I could carry that for a month, but I like to have a clean balance on my card.  The only down...more

I think that trying to minimize this issue by saying that it's more often that older drivers end up killing themselves in at fault collisions, is a nonstarter.  Who wants to lose a parent or grandparent like this?  And more often than not, the incidents are extremely serious.  I know where I live (Edmonton, Alberta) th...more

Funny.  As a Canadian, I'm very much used to chip-and-pin (we've had it for about 5-6 years now), but ironically, I ran into an issue in the US on a road trip last summer, where I encountered a number of gas stations that required a zip code to be entered when paying at the pump with my VISA.  Not having a zip code mad...more

So European banks get themselves into trouble gambling on bad subprime mortgages, turn to their governments for a bailout, who need to then go to the EU for a larger bailout, who then loan a bunch of cheap money to the banks, who buy risky European gov't bonds.  Talk about rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.  It's ...more

I became debt free about 7 years ago (worked through $23,000 in debt), and I discovered that it was far more challenging to work out a balance in my finances after the debt.  Obviously, using freed up money for savings was a priority for me, but putting together a system that would maximize my savings, while handling r...more

I'm kind of stunned at how many people here completely missed the point of this article.  It's about sorting out your priorities and finding balance in your life.  Paying down your debt and living within your means are certainly important, but focusing on debt elimination to the exclusion of all else can cause plenty o...more

Given some of the mediocre, derivative crap that Bon Jovi has released over the years, it makes sense that he would whine about being forced to raise his game and release only quality tracks.  I can understand artists being upset about illegal downloading, but complaining about being held to a higher standard is absolu...more

The problem in many (if not most) of these cases is people not being proactive enough in managing their money.  One of the most basic principles of investment is to steadily reduce your exposure to equities as you get closer to needing to rely on your investments for income.  Doing so would have greatly mitigated some ...more

I too managed to claw my way out of debt ($23,000).  I don't think it's possible to over stress the importance of gradual steps.  Break the process down and take enough time between changes to get used to your new set up.   Everyone who gets out of debt and stays that way, has a slightly different approach to their...more